Wheel lift devices have been in use for years. Conventional wheel lift devices are typically comprised of a hydraulic/pneumatic bottle jack lifting system that lifts the wheel in position with respect to a wheel hub. Another method of lifting wheels into a desired position with respect to a wheel hub is by manually positioning the wheel with blocks and related objects. Further methods can be found using winches, electric motors or a pneumatic cylinder that lifts a wheel into position. Conventional wheel lift devices for positioning wheels with respect to a hub are relatively heavy, cumbersome, and slow to operate and are not intended for transporting wheels to and from tire changing and balancing apparatus. Additionally, while these conventional wheel lift devices are suitable for accessing wheels of vehicles on “single-post” and “two-post” vehicle lifts (post lifts), they are not suitable for accessing wheels of vehicles on “low-rise” vehicle lifts (often referred to as pad lifts). Other conventional wheel lifts that are used at a tire changing apparatus or at tire balancing apparatus are fixed to the apparatus and are not mobile. Since they are attached to the apparatus, they are not suitable for lifting wheels at other apparatus or to and from a wheel hub of a vehicle.
While conventional devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for efficiently lifting, transporting and positioning a wheel at all the three fundamental operations of tire changing (1. on and off of vehicle; 2. tire changing table; and 3. tire balancer) while also interfacing with vehicles on low-rise lifts.
In these respects, the wheel lift system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of efficiently lifting, positioning, and transporting a wheel to and from a wheel hub, tire changer, and tire balancer and can be used on low-rise lifts and post lifts.